She is Grima
by Blueshade Seraphim
Summary: Naga has a shadow. And that shadow is Grima. Here’s a few short scenes to expand upon the terrifying monster of Plegia. She may not be quite the soulless beast she claims to be...


**(This'll be my first one-chapter kind of story. Just adding some zest to the Grima scenes, and giving a little extra layers to the tale of the fallen tactician. Also, just so there's no confusion, in my canonology, Chrom and Robin are a thing. So turn the lights off and press on... and don't you go dying on me...)**

**Scene 1: Robin's Nightmare:**

Robin tossed and turned in the night as the rain fell outside. Robin had already had plenty of difficulty getting to sleep. The pressure of holding the life of Emmeryn in her hands was quite suffocating to say the least. But after enough exhausting herself with her own paranoid thoughts, she managed to slink away into the world of dreams. Little did she know this was when things got bad. The wind howled outside as she slept. Completely oblivious to what was happening out in the real world. And it was then that something deeper into her tent. A cloud of black mist with glowing red dots resembling eyes filled the air around her slumbering body.

The shadows toyed with its victim. Gently touching its tendrils against her skin, taking delight in her helplessness. Then, upon successfully testing she wouldn't wake up any time soon, it seemed its way through her pours and into her skin. ".amirG ,nogard llef eht ma I ...riapsed fo sgniw eht ma I ...nuir fo htaerb eht ma I" it chanted, gleefully invading her mind. Robin's dream was that of an endless void of black. All around her was smoke that rose to form a circular wall around her. The smoke rising in just such a way to resemble the faces of zombies, or ghosts, or corpses.

"What is this...? Where am I!?" Robin nervously asked no one in particular. But she found herself regretting speaking, as someone or some_thing_ answered her. Its voice muffled with some demonic echo as if she was underwater. "THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT, ARROGANT WOMAN." She felt the ground beneath her shake as something rose out of the darkness under her. She looked down through what appeared to be a transparent floor to see some huge monstrosity cloaked in blackness looking up at her. It was hard to see all of it, but Robin was terrified by what she saw as it was.

Its six red eyes locked on her as she found herself in a state of panic. Her voice trembled as she dared to ask her next question. "P-punishment...? For what?" The giant head leaned upwards to look at her even more closely. Its jagged sharp teeth and alligator-like mouth on full display. Its mouth didn't move, but its voice boomed all the same. "FOR SHUTTING ME OUT, INSECT. WHAT ELSE?" Robin tried to inch further away from this... _thing, _but the walls grew hands and restrained her against them. "DO NOT TRY TO FLEE. THERE IS NO MEANS OF ESCAPE. YOUR EFFORTS DO AMUSE ME, THOUGH..." Robin then felt the floor underneath her start to crack. "Please don't do this, I beg of you!" She pleaded, tears now streaming down her face. "YOU HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR ME. IN FACT, YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL. YOU SHALL SUSTAIN ME. FOREVER!" Robin tried to find footing on the crumbling platform, but inevitably the arms threw her into the abyss. She screamed in terror as she fell ever closer to the open jaw of this beast! But just when she was about to be eaten-

"Robin?" Robin immediately woke and bolted to her sitting position, screaming into the wind as sweat covered her. Upon noting her surroundings, she tried to catch her breath as she gasped for air. Lissa immediately kneeling down to see if her friend was okay. "Easy there, easy. Relax, you're fine. It's just me, see?" Robin had finally gotten the chance to regain her composure, burying her face in her hands in her attempt to calm her nerves. "Geez, Robin. You really gave me quite a fright there. Chrom sent me in here to fetch you for the march and the instant I walk in you look seconds from death. What the heck happened?" Robin took one last glance around the room. She was safe. Thank Naga for that. "I... I don't want to talk about it right now..." Lissa furrowed her brow in concern. "You gonna be okay? You still look tense. Need anything? Water maybe?" Robin paused. "Yes... please. Water." As Lissa went to help her friend calm down, Robin was left in her thoughts. What was that...?

**Scene 2: The Foreshadow:**

Robin had never been to Plegia Castle before. Since last war, she never wanted to go anywhere near the place. But now was not the time to get cold feet. Despite having recognized the newly appointed King Validar as the former leader of a band of assassins, he did seem quite generous in aiding Ylisse against Valm. But Robin's logical side screamed at her '_DO NOT TRUST THIS GUY!'. "-_Leaving so soon? But I have one last introduction to make." Aversa teased. "Oh, and who would that be?" Validar smirked. "A hierophant. One who has earned my respect. She helped me in a moment of doubt."

Almost as if on cue, Robin and the others noticed someone standing at the end of the hall. Leaning against the wall holding a book. The corridors were really dark, so they could only barely make them out. "H-how long were they standing there?" Chrom asked. Then the figure stood up straight, and turned to walk towards them. Their footsteps against the carpet echoing through the halls, the only sound currently being made. As they got closer, Robin could see it was a woman. She wore black armor that fit her build quite well. She also wore a matching hood that connected to her cape. Really, she was dressed like an evil version of the trickster class.

She had white hair that seemed to be in the same style as hers, and she had black lipstick. She seemed slightly older than her, but only just. She held a book in one hand and a flower in the other. Said flower being a purple tulip. She sniffed it and sighed. Her voice feminine, but deeper than hers. "...Well, it's erm... nice to meet you, miss." Robin greeted, not abandoning politeness, even though she was the queen now. The hierophant just looked at her with a cold glance before putting the flower into the book and closing it. It appears she enjoyed collecting flowers in her spare time. But she was quiet in a way that gave of a feeling of unease.

Frederick stepped forward. "Good heirophant, would you please lower your hood? It's inconsiderate to not bother showing the exalt your face. Besides, it's common courtesy in Ylisse." The hierophant paused for a good 3 seconds. "When entering this castle you stepped into a world you can never hope to understand... but if you Insist, then..." She then pulled down her hood. The black abyss that smothered her face now dissipating. Her eyes were a glowing ominous purple, and her skin had all the color sucked from it like a thirsty toddler's juice box. But the main reason it caused such shock was that it looked exactly like Robin's!

"... I am happy to oblige." The doppelganger finished, before giggling at their reaction. Her smile was the kind one took when teasing the fact they know something the other party didn't. "What in Naga's name!?" Robin blurted out. Chrom stood with his jaw agape, while Frederick just had a shocked expression. The hierophant flicked her hair for dramatic effect. "My name is Robin. I understand that's your name too, yes milady? How intriguing. It's like we were made for each other." Validar laughed. "Why yes, I almost mistakened her for you. But in a world as vast as this, sometimes things like these just happen. Now then, if everything's in order, I'll-" but Chrom cut him off.

"Wait, how could you have been negligent about this!? You did this on purpo-" Aversa returned the favor by interrupting him. "Naga works in mysterious ways, milord. Now if you'll excuse us, we have preparations to attend to." And that was it. Validar put his hand on the hierophant's shoulder as she smirked at Robin and her allies. The three of them walked off back into the curtain of darkness.

**Scene 3: Grima's Motivation:**

Grima was a dragon with high standards for himself... though now that he was in the body of a woman, he supported he should consider going by female pronouns now. He was never too fussy about a vessel, but he was thankful this one was strong and still full of youth. His last vessel had already been old and rusty, and he believes that's what made his last defeat so easy. Regardless, this was the new him... her. To be expected, she was pampered quite thoroughly, being in such close relations to Validar, and earning the prayers of Plegia.

She only had one policy: don't disturb her unless absolutely necessary. Her subjects didn't bother her too much, but the very sight of humans made her want to vomit. They radiated defiance and hubris simply by existing. And all through it they were really nothing more than the playthings of Naga. One afternoon she was laying on her bed, impressed by how comfortable it was, when she heard a knock at her door. A gentle knock, so as not to murder her eardrums with the gargled garbage she called noise. "Enter." She commanded.

In came Aversa. Taking the time to bow to her mistress. "Speak." Grima allowed, only permitting visitors to talk with her expressed permission. "Lady Grima, forgive my intrusion. You may destroy me if this is too petty a matter for you, but I wished to know of your origins." Grima nearly fell out of bed at that request. She sat straight up. Was this mortal serious? Normally she'd never answer such an undeserved question, but on this particular day she was feeling generous. "You have quite the audacity asking me that, worm... but I suppose I won't lose a few scales over it."

Grima actually didn't know where to begin such a story... hmmm... Ah, yes. _He _should suffice. "As humiliated I am to confess, it was by human hands I was brought into this world. I lacked the intelligence in my former life as a normal animal to recollect it, but I suppose it matters not anyway. I was the result of one narcissistic man's endeavors to feed his own selfish goals. My earliest memories were of being cut open repeatedly and injected with several serums and potions and other oddities." Aversa looked up at her. "Who was this man?"

Grima cringed. To this day, his very face was an insult to her. "I will not honor the fleshbag by naming him. What I will say is the day I started to mature. Blood. Blood of man and dragon. That was the key to my evolution. It was then I started to become who I am today. From those drops of such life essence, I obtained the wisdom of a once proud dragon. Duma was what he called himself. I would always say it was him who was my real father. That said, I did also gain the drive of my creator from his... oh so generous donation..."

Grima stood and looked in a mirror. Every once in a while she saw that disgusting cretin looking back at her. All bent over and covered in warts and wrinkles. It was then she remembered her growing anger towards him as she clenched the table tight. "I remember him rambling to me... a man overtaken by madness and self-adoration. Every day when he developed me he would tell me how I was going to be his crowning achievement. His weapon to secure his 'rightful place'. Completely oblivious to the fact I could hear every word he was saying."

Aversa stayed silent until the story was over. "So I made up my mind: I would berid myself of this tedious life. As I grew in size and power, I further understood the weaknesses in his mind he ignored. It started with a whisper. A little suggestion in his mind. Soon enough the old fool's crumpled mind folded before me into perfect obedience. Unfortunately, he was useless to me. For he was banished from the human world, and as a result, unable to aid me. So I did him an act of mercy and put his misery to an end." She really got a kick out of having him out of her hair.

"I thought I was trapped down in that lab forever. But years later, someone broke in. His mind was more stable, but his arrogance just as incredible as my creator. I doubted my own eyes that he was truly there, for my servants populated the ruins. And what I would see as a theme of humanity, he didn't even so much as ask questions before striking at me with a pointy metal stick. He had succeeded in annoying me to such a fine degree that I didn't even want to slay him that moment so much as get him out of my sight. So I faked falling to his blade, and when he left I made my way to freedom. At last out of that mausoleum of a lab."

Aversa stood. "How fascinating. And so you became what you are now?" Grima shook her head. "Well, it took time. Everywhere I went, humans feared the 'hideous monster' that flew overhead. I cannot tell you how quickly they tried to slay me. Their swords, their lances, their axes and magic. All of it useless against me. But still they charged with unprovoked rage. As I was now free, I ignored them the first few times. But my patience only lasted so long. At the peak of my annoyance, I burnt a town of my attackers to get even, but that seemed to encourage them further to strike me down." She banged her fist on the table, smashing it in one go.

She calmed herself down and proceeded. "But soon enough, something new happened... One day I awoke in my land I had liberated from humans, and I found a crowd of them all bowing down to me. This had never happened to me before, so I decided to stall in destroying them. One of them announced to me they were my humble servants, and that they would do whatever I said. I took it as some sort of sarcastic jab at me, but I decided to play along. Days later when they asked for a sample of my blood, i honored their wish as a joke. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I now had a bloodline. My travels would lead me to a town where they begged Naga to save them. I got information from them, and upon noting there was another dragon still alive, my grandmother no less, I for once felt what I believe you humans call 'hope'."

Aversa knew it was wise not to speak out during this part of the story. "...But no. When I arrived in search of her, I had done what I'd always done and fried anyone dumb enough to anger me, but this didn't seem to sit well with Naga. When what was at the time the king of Ylisse challenged me with Falchion, I was in the mood for a good laugh, so I let him get a clean hit on me. But to my shock, it actually hurt! I tried to shake him off, but he was already climbing on me digging into my skin with his glorified splinter. Before I could grasp what was going on, Naga had sealed me away. It was at that moment in slumber I finally found my purpose..."

She paused. "Humanity is egocentric. Cocky. They make tales of a world without dragons to feed their own inflated sense of self-importance. They fail to realize they are too corrupted and superficial to manage the world on their own, and refuse to listen to reason when it's presented to them. Let the countless wars against their own kind as my proof. So I decided on what I'd do: I would take control and teach them humility and knock them out of their blissful ignorance. And I would do so through means they could understand: cause and effect. My followers would live lives of ease and convenience, while my aggressors would be transformed. Their appearance on the outside reflecting what they are on the inside: monsters. Hence Risen. And if they refused to pick a side, I'd sooner or later make them. This is the way it has to be to establish order in this world."

Grima panted, she had never talked that long in her life. But it actually felt good getting all that off her chest. Or maybe that was Robin's dormant soul talking. Aversa put a hand on her shoulder. "And we will bring that order to fruition. With your guidance, it can be done." Grima shoves her hand off of her. "Don't touch me, welp. But yes, we will. You may return to your duties now." She then summoned a spike of dark energy and stopped it right at Aversa's throat. "And do not repeat this tale to anyone, or so help me, you'll understand fear firsthand." Aversa swallowed hard. "Y-yes, milady." And so she left. Grima sighed. What idiocy.

**(So yeah. Wanted to give Grima a more human motive. Something to make her more believable as a villain. Hope you all enjoyed it~)**


End file.
